Rooks reveal remarkable tool use

Rooks have a remarkable aptitude for using tools, scientists have found.

Tests on captive birds revealed that they could craft and employ tools to solve a number of different problems.

The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, came as a surprise as rooks do not use tools in the wild.

Here, the rook choose the appropriate stones to release a tasty snack from a trapdoor.

Video courtesy of Christopher Bird, University of Cambridge